Cop doffing and tube donning mechanism for cop winding machines



March 30, 1937. w. REINERS ET AL 2,075,544

COP DOFFING AND TUBE DONNING MECHANISM FOR COP WINDING MACHINES Filed March 1', 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1' .90 a I 7g! 39 maz g i k axgqgwgu 1 5; mmilm llli'i' I, n u I March 30, 1937. w. REINERS ET AL 2,075,544 COP DOFFING AND TUBE DONNING MECHANISM FOR COP WINDING MACHINES Filed March 1 193-4 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M v m-\\..w R T NM\M|. v N. W MW! F..- R W N \s & 1i- K18 .H w H R w. Rs Ea. @QQQR m s finmfrx m% a i? j aw -0 o N N \Qm 1 w who 25 N\W\ Nw m a. \W J N La v Q Q {M kw am March 30, 1937. w. REINERS ET AL 2,075,544

COP DFFING AND TUBE DONNING MECHANISM FOR COP WINDING MACHINES Filed March 1, 193-4 5 Sheets-Shee t 5 z j 77 M m March 30,1937. w. REINERS ET AL 7 2,075,544

COP DOFFING AND TUBE -DONNING MECHANISM FOR COP WINDING MACHINES Filed March 1, 195-4 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 v 1, 1, w ,4; v M

- m a g I i as lill March 30, 1937. w. REINERS ET ALv Y COP DOFFING AND TUBE DONNING MECHANISM FOR COP WINDING MACHINES 4 m a; m 127 Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES.

COP DOFI'ING AND TUBE DONNING MECHA- NISM FOR COP WINDING MACHINES Wilhelm Reiners and Gustav Kahlisoli, Gladbach-Bheydt, Germany, assignors tow. Schlafhorst & 00., Gladbach-Rheydt, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application March 1, 1 934, W No. 113,500 In Germany March 81, 1933 17 Claims. (Cl. 242-32) This invention relates to cop winding machines in which the dofllng of cops and/or the donning of cop tubes is effected in respect of a plurality of spindles simultaneously, sometimes all the spindles on one side of the machine. For this purpose various manual operations have heretofore been required, requiring a considerable amount of labour, particularly. where the cops carry only a comparatively small amount of yarn, so that frequent changes of cops are required.

The object of the present invention is to avoid manual operation, and to eifect all the requisite movements automatically, irrespective of whether the winding machine has full length spindles for v the cop tubes or whether the tubes are held between pegs engaging only into their ends.

The invention includes also means whereby the dotted cops remain in engagement with holders which give them a movement for breaking the yarn, and adjustable means whereby the thread guides are uncoupled from their actuating mechanism when the cops have been full wound, so that the thread guides return automatically to their initial positions, the rapid return movement of the thread guides to their initial positionvserving automatically to'initiate movement of the device for doiiing or releasing the cops and donning the .emptyftubes. A fly wheel.or the like may be provided at a suitable part of the drive so that the spindles continue to revolve after the drive hasbeen declutched, causing the loose endof the yarn to become-attached to the spindles. Thenumber of revolutions made by the spindles under the influence oi thefly wheel, and consequently the length of the thread wound on the spindles, may be regulated by means of a brake device. I

Several examples of apparatus according to the invention are shown in the annexed drawn s. r

Figs. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic views of one form of. construction, Fig. 1 being a sectional view along one or the spindle stations with certain parts in elevation, and Fig. 2, a front view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cop and tube carrier used in this example, with part of mechanism for actuating it.

Figs. 4 to 8 show an example in which the tubes are held between pegs, the machine havingno full length spindles. Fig; 4 is a sectional view of the machine along one of the spindle stations with certain parts in elevation, showing the peel-- Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 showing the positioning oi. the, parts preparatory to the'domng movement. 1

Fig. 7 is a front view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 showing the completion of the doiiing movement.

Figs. 9 and 10 show parts of a cop winding machine having any wheel for the purpose already indicated, Fig. 9 being a. sectional view with certain parts in elevation and Fig. 10 a plan view thereof with certain parts in section. 10

' In the drawings, I designates the spindles, 2 the cops, the empty cop tubes, and 'X a carrier for the tubes and cops, of a kind which we have shown in earlier specifications. 4 designates thread guides arranged on a common carrier 5, serving a D1urality.. of spindles.

The spindles l are drivenifrom' a common shaft 0, by bevel wheels Lands,- and the thread guides 4 with their carrier 5- are-moved by racks, 9 and pinions i0 mounted on a common shaft ll (Figs. 20

The carrier x operates to" doif the cops and to receive empty cop tubes and don them.

- are fixed to the reciprocating and rotatable racks II and rock with said rack through 90. At their free ends the levers I! carry rollers ll, on which the carrier X is movable transversely of the spindles, so that the frame of the carrier, shown in Fig. 3 is able to shift, after dotting, the extent required to allow empty cop tubes placed on it to be positioned in front oithe spindles. 35

The reciprocating movement of the carrier is produced by the above mentioned racks II and toothed segments l I, the latter of which are fixed to a common shaft". The racks If slide in bearings in the frame of the machine. 4

The rocking of the racks I 5 is eifected by a crank II, which is also fixed to the shaft It, said crank carrying a'roller is engaging a grooved drum is. The latter is on a shaft is mounted at'il, :2 in the frame 20 of the machine. The 45 groove machined in the periphery of the drum 2! has no lift at the part 24, which is parallel with the end faces of the drum, but it has a lift at the two-adjoining parts 25 and 28. corresponding to 50 the degree of movement to be given to the car rier :x. The toothed segments II, and thus the racksv It, with the carrier x, remain stationary while the'rollcr ll of the lever arm I? isin the part 24 of the groove. when, however, the roller I8 enters the part 25 or 28, the carrier x is moved parallel to the spindles.

One of the members of a clutch 21 is also slidable but not rotatable on the drum shaft I9, and

5 coacts with a complementary member 28, which forms the hub of a worm wheel 28. The latter is not slidable on the shaft I8, but is free to rotate thereon. The worm wheel 29 meshes with a worm imiixed to a driving shaft 8i mounted 18 in the frame 28, 32.

On the drive shaft 8! there is a pulley 88 connected by a belt 88 to a clutch disc 85, which is mounted on the drive shaft 8 for the cop spindies (Figs. 1, 2).

Automatic movement of the carrier X for defling the cops is effected in the following manner:

The clutch 2'i-28 remains disengaged, and the grooved drum remains stationary, while the cops 2 are being wound. The crank I7 with its roller 20 i8 engages the part 28 .of the groove in drum 28. As soon as the cops are iully wound the thread guide bar 5 is automatically returned to its initial position, Figs. 6 and 9, by means'to be described fully hereinafter. This movement causes a pin 88 on the rack 8 (Figs. 1 and 3) to impinge against an arm 81 on a rod. 88 mounted rotatably in the frame part 48. At the lower end of this rod 89 there is a nose 88 which releases a lever 42 from its locked position described below,

30 when the rod 88. is rocked. The rod 88 is held in the locked position (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) by a spring 48 (Figs. 1 and 2). On a shaft 4| (Figs. 1

and 3) rotatable in the frame of the machine there is a lever 42 which has a joint at 48. The two parts of the lever are held in alignment with each other by a leaf spring 44, but the spring allows one part of the lever to be swung in one direction by the turning movement of elements 81, 88 and 88; in Fig. 3, the forward part of lever 42 may rock downwardly, and in Fig. 2, to the right. The lever 42 is locked by a finger 45, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, during the winding of the cops, said finger being fixed to 9. connecting rod 48. The actuation of arm 81 by pin 88 causes the nose 88 to shift the movable part of lever 42 to the right (Fig. 2) against the action of spring 44 to exclude the locking effect of finger 45 thereon.

A clutch lever 41 is also fixed to the shaft 4i, and its fork engages the clutch member 21, which is acted on by a spring 48, shown in Fig. 1. An upwardly directed lever I9 is pivoted at I8 to the frame part 48. This lever actuates slid able member 88 of a clutch 88, 8| (Fig. 2) and also actuates the member 82 of a clutch 82, 88. Lastly it operates the driving clutch 85. The engagement and disengagement of the clutch 88, 8| throws into and out of operation known mechanism 84, 85 for reciprocating the thread guides 4. As shown in Fig. 2 all three clutches 88, 8|; 82, I 83; and 85 are engaged, so that the machine is in operation. A lever 84 engages at 88 (Figs. 2 and 3) the lever I8, said lever 84 when in engaged position resting with its notch 85 (see Fig.

- 3) against an angle piece 85 on the frame 28 of the machine. The lever is held in this position by a spring 91. When the cops are fully wound and the stop 'I-I (Figs. 1 and 3) on rack 8 strikes the lever 94, the latter is rocked to the unlocked position of 85,. 88. Consequently the lever I8,

which actuates the three clutches, is moved by the spring 88 (see Fig. 2) to its disengaging position.

As a result of the disengagement of the clutch 7o 82, 88 a chain 88 connected to the clutch member 88 and to a spring I88 (Fig. 1) pulls a declutched heart eccentric 84 and with it a lever 85 to the position shown in Fig. 1, and the clutch 88, 8I of the heart eccentric is also' disengaged.

This movement also causes the rack 9 to be returned from its foremost position to its rearmost position shown in Figs. 6 and 8. At the same time the pin 88 on the racks 8 causes movements of the clotting device to be initiated automatically as previously described. As the spindle drive is stopped, owing to the rapid return of the thread guide to its initial position and the consequent disengagement of the driving clutch 85, the provision of suitable rotating masses, whether in the form of the operative parts or of specially provided fly wheels (Figs. 9 and 10), causes the spindles to continue to rotate a short while, so that the yarn, which has been wound in a steep helix on the surface of the cop during the return of the thread guide, is caused to make a few convolutions on the spindles, at the part I8I, (Figs. 1,

' 3), where the yarn runs on. According to Figs. 9

and 18 a fly wheel I22 is arranged on the spindle drive shaft 8. An adjustable angle piece I28 is fixed to the thread guide bar 5. A rod I25 is slidable in two stationary bearings I24 and I25. This rod carries at one end a brake shoe I2'I,which can be pressed against the rim of the fly wheel I22. A sleeve I28 is also flxed on the rod I28, between the hearings I24 and I25. This sleeve carries a transverse pin I28. A coil spring I88 provided on the rod I25 between the sleeve I28 and the bearing I25 normally holds the brake shoe I21 away from the fiy wheel I22. As'soon as the thread guide bar 5 returns to its initial position and the thread guide 4 arrives opposite the part I 8I of the spindles I, the angle piece I28 abuts against the transverse pin I28 and the brake shoe I2! is pressed against the fly wheel I22, so that the spindle drive shaft 8 is stopped. The number of revolutions which the cop spindles make in order to take up a sufficient length of yarn is regulated by the position of the angle piece I28 on the thread guide bar 5, the pressure of the brake shoe I21 on the fly wheel I22 being regulated. Obviously, suitable rotating masses may be provided on other rotary members of the drive, for instance on or adjacent to the inner cone of the clutch 85 (Fig. 2), instead of providing one or more fiy wheels, whilst a brake rim may also be furnished for the above mentioned brake. The carrier X and its actuating mechanism areomitted in both Figs. 9 and 10. The springs I88 for rapidly returning the thread guide 4 with its bar 5, are in this construction not fixed to discs I84 on the shaft II, as in Fig. 1, but they are attached to the thread guide bar 5 and to a stationary part I I5 of the frame of the machine.

The above described invention may also be advantageously applied to cop winding machines of a difierent construction.

To enable the carrier X to move from the initial position below the spindle plane to its operative position level with the spindles there is mounted on the previously mentioned shaft I8 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a box cam 58 having a groove which is partly concentric and partly eccentric. Into this groove engages a roller 5i on a connecting nular groove in the hub of the box cam 54. Ihe connecting rod 44 is thus guided at the top by the wrist pin of the crank 52, and at the bottom by the fork 58 in the annular groove of the box cam.

when the shaft i8 is turned to rotate the cam 23 from the position shown in Fig. 1, after engagement of the clutch 21, 28, the connecting rod 45, if in engagement with the eccentric part of the cam groove, is moved and the crank 52 is l0' rocked. By means of the cranks l2 fixedly mounted on the racks I! the carrier member X is then moved upwards to the operative'or dofllng position, or else 'it is moved in the opposite direction. The notches 54 (Figs. 2 and 3) in the carrler X engage behind the oops I when the carrier is lifted. On continued rotation of the box cam 23 the roller l8 on the lever l1 enters the ascending part 25 of the groove. This causes the toothed segment I! to rock to the left so that the racks 20 i3 and carrier-"X are moved ou twards. All the fully wound cops are stripped off the spindles and fall into a trough 55 underneath. The cops are then conveyed by an endless belt 58 to a receptacle not shown.

A 2 The carrier x with the empty cop tubes 3 must now be moved'for a short distance transversely of the spindles so that the tubes are placed in line with the spindles. For this purpose a stationary arm 51, (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) is arranged on the frame of the machine, the front end of which carries a roller". A bell crank 68, 8! (Fig. 3) is pivoted to a pin 58 on the carrier 2;, and a spring 62 is connected to the shorter arm of this lever, this spring being also anchored to the carrier. This spring tends to hold the lever 68, 6! in the position shown in Fig. .3, so that when the carrier X is lifted the longer arm 88 abuts against a roller 58 on the stationary lever 51. When the carrier X reaches its dofling position the double 40 armed lever 88, Si is rocked to the left, owing to its position in relationlto the roller 58, so that the pull on said lever is increased, with the result that when thenotches 54 pass the tips of the spindles the carrier itself moves longitudtnally to a stop 88 (Figs. land 8). The stop 68 ensures that the carrier occupies the correct donning position; the stop is not shown in Fig. 2.

At this time the crank arm ll with the roller l8 leaves the ascending part of the groove 25 in 5 the drum 23 and enters the part 26 of the groove,

so that the'carrier X is moved towards the spindles andibonsequently the empty tubes are pushed onto the spindles.

The drum f8 continues to rotate and the roller 55 i8 again enters the part 24 of the groove. First, however, the drum 23 rotates until the connecting rod 46 is moved downwards by the eccentric part of the groove in the box cam, and the carrier X moves from operative position to the position shown in Figs. 1. and 2.

When the roller 5i on the rod 48 again enters the eccentric part of the cam groove and the connecting rod 45 begins to lift, the abutment 45 on the connecting rod strikes the lever 42,

room it upwards and thus with the aid of the shaft 4! and forked lever 41 disengages the clutch member 21 from the clutch member 28, so that rotation of shaft l8 and box cam 58, and further ascent of the connecting rod 48, are

stopped. The cop changing operation is finished. The operative attaches to the spindles such of the yarns as may 'be broken, and starts the machine again. I

In the example shown in Figs. 4 to 8 the cops are moved some distance outwards by means of them by breaking the yarn. The spindles I serve to drive the cop tubes 8' but. do not extend through the tubes.

On the front ends of the racks it there are brackets 84 which support iron plates 84a forming bearings for poppets which engage into the front ends of the cop tubes. The cop tubes are heldv in operative position in conventional -manner by yielding pressure applied to the p pp ts.

.Holders 88 and 81 for the empty tubes are arranged on the carrier in The latter is provided in front and at the rear with flanged bars 88, 88, the bar 88 having bearings II and 12 for a spindle 18 having thereon forked lever arms 15. The levers 13 are held in normal position by springs 14 disposed between them and the bar 88. When the carrier X is in the domng position shown in Figs. 6 and '7 the forked levers engage the stub spindles i behind the bases of the cop tubes 2.

The movements of the carrier X are all performed in exactly the same way as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Thus, to release the cops 2 the carrier is first moved outwards by the gear segment l5 and racks i8. A lever 15 is fixed to the spindle 18 so that when the carrier IX, after being raised from the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to the position shown in Figs. 6 and his moved forwards to dot! the cops, the lever 15 is also moved and caused to strike a stop I8 fixed to the frame of the machine. The lever 15 and spindle 18 are consequently rocked, placing the lever in the position shown in Fig. 8. This causes the fork I3 to become disengaged from the cops and removes the pressure on the poppets 85. The position of the fixed stop is such that prior to the lever 15 being rocked by the same, and consequently prior to the release of the cops, the ends of the yarn on the cops are broken, between the cops and the points where the yarn runs on, so that the cops are able to drop into the trough 55.

It has already been proposed to' provide yarncutting-devices adapted to sever the yarn; but the device here illustrated has the advantage of greater simplicity and of continuous reliability inaction. The stop 18 may be adjustable on the frame of the machine, to suit the nature of the yarn and its resistance to breakage. I

Fixed poppets may be used in lieu of the slidable poppets 65, in which case the driving stub spindles i are slidable and connected with the racks l8 by driving forks.

For shifting the thread guides after each stroke the following device is employed.

As previously mentioned, a number of angle iron members 5 carrying thread guides 4 are fixed to the racks 8. These racks 9 are slidably mounted in the frame of the machine, and

' mesh with wheels l8 fixed to a shaft Ii. On the same shaft ii there is a disc l8l. Fixed to the periphery of this disc is a belt, rope, chain or the like I88. This belt I83 can be wound more or less on the periphery of the disc "ii. The belt )3 is attached also to the rim of a disc 83 (Figs. 1 and 2) on the shaft 88 which rotates in the fork bearing of, the "lever 85. On,the'same-shaft- 86 there is mounted, between the forked bearing of lever .85, a' worm wheel 81 meshing at the top with a worm 88. Worm 88 is fixed to a shaft l85.- This shaft" I85 is also revolubly mounted in another fork i88a and i86b of the lever 85. The ratchet wheel 88 is fixed to the holders 1: on the carrier x, in order to release outer end of the shaft I05. Between said wheel and the bearing I09a-b, a double-armed lever 9i, 9Ia is loose on the shaft I05. Thislever carries at the end of its arm 91a a feed pawl 90,

5 which drives the ratchet wheel 89 by the throw of the double armed lever 9I, 9Ia. The feed movement is effected in the following manner. The lever 95 carries a roller I 08, which rolls on the periphery of a cam 84. This cam 94 is 10 fixed to a shaft I09. On the sameshaft I09 is a gear wheel IIO, the hub BI of which is a member of the hereinbefore mentioned clutch 90, 8|. A lever III is pivotally mounted on the shaft I09 and is held against'axial' movement.

16 The lever carries, approximately at its centre, a pin M2 on which an intermediate gear wheel H3 is rotatable. This intermediate wheel II3 meshes with a gear wheel IIO on shaft I09, and also with a gear wheel II4 rotatable on shaft 6 20 and fixed to the clutch disc 35. The movement of the gear wheel I I4 is thus transmitted through gear wheels H3 and H0 and through the clutch 80, 8I to the cam 84. By this means the lever 95- with its previously described actuating mechanism is moved up and down. The double-armed lever 9|, 9Ia consequently takes part in this movement. The arm 9I of this double-armed lever consequently abuts at each stroke against a set-screw 92 arranged on the frame of the ma- 90 chine (Fig. 1). The arm 9I of the double armed lever 91, 9| a abuts against the head of the screw 92, earlier or later according to the adjustment of the screw, and consequently the throw of the shaft I05 will vary. Owing to the pawl 90 being pivoted to the upper end of the arm 9Ia, the pawl rotates the ratchet 89 to a greater or lesser extent. Inasmuch as the wheel 89 and the worm 88 are fixed to a common shaft I05, the worm 89 rotates the worm wheel 81 on shaft 86. The disc 83 is also fixed to this shaft 86, and is rotated to a certain extent when the clutch 82, 83 is engaged. The belt I03 is connected to this disc 83. Thus each rotary movement of the disc 8! is transmitted to the shaft 5 II. On this shaft II there is also mounted a disc I04, to which a belt 99 is connected. The belt 99 is subject to the pull of a spring I00, connected to a bracket H5, so that the disc I04 urges the thread guide racks 9 in the direction indicated by the arrow a (Fig. 1).

In Fig. 1 the thread guides 4 and racks 9 are shown in operative position. On the racks 9 there are adjustable collars I I0, with springs I II which impinge against fixed stops I32 when the thread guides 4 return from their end position to their initial position opposite the parts I3I onto which the yarn runs, when the cops have been wound. The impact of the racks is cushioned by the springs II'I.

The fork I02 (Figs. 1 and 2) serves to engage and disengage the clutch 82, 83. This fork is fixed at its lower end to a rod I I8, and engages the clutch member 82.

5 a bearing H9 and is pivotally connected to the lever 19, so that it is moved backwards and forwards by said lever to engage and disengage the clutch 82, 93. The engagement of the clutch 92, 93 is effected by a compression spring I20 on shaft 86, said spring bearing against an adjustable collar IZI on said shaft 98. The disengaging of the clutch 92, 83 is effected by the thrust of lever I9, transmitted through rod .I I9

and forked lever I02.

The rod H8 is guided in.

We claim:

1. In a cop winding machine, a winding mechanism comprising a group of spindles, a movable member, and means for imparting to said memher a progressive movement duringithe winding of a group of cops on said spindles; a dofllng mechanism, normally inoperative power driving means for said dofling mechanism, and means controlled by said member, upon reaching a predetermined point in its progressive movement, for setting said doifing mechanism in operation by said driving means.

2.- In a cop winding -machine, a winding mechanism comprising a group of spindles, a thread guide mechanism cooperating therewith, means for imparting to said thread guide mechanism a progressive movement during the winding of a group of cops on said spindles; a domng mechanism, normally inoperative power driving means for said dofling mechanism, and means controlled by said thread guide mechanism, upon reaching a predetermined point in its progressive movement, for setting said domng mechanism in operation by said driving means.

3. In a cop windingmachine, a movable member, and means for imparting to said member a progressive movement as the cops are wound; a winding mechanism comprising a row of spindles, a doifing unit normally out of the plane of said spindles, means for moving said dofiing unit into the plane of said spindles and restoring the same to normal position; normally inoperative power driving means for operating said last-mentioned means; and means operated by said movable member, upon reaching a predetermined point in its progressive movement, for setting said dofflng unit moving means in operation by said power driving means.

4. In a. cop winding machine, a winding mechanism comprising a row of spindles; a movable member, and means for imparting to said memher a progressive movement as the cops are wound; a dofllng and donning unit cooperating with said spindles and comprising alternately arranged dofling devices and empty tube supports; operating means comprising means to move said unit outward for dofiing cops, means to move said unit laterally to aline the empty tubes on said supports with said spindles, and means to move said unit inward to don said tubes; normally inoperative power driving means for said operating means; and means controlled by said movable member, upon reaching a predetermined point in its progressive movement, for setting said operating means in operation by said power driving means.

5. In a cop winding machine, a winding mechanism comprising a row of spindles; a movable member, and means for imparting to said member a progressive movement as the cops are wound; a dofiing and donning unit cooperating with said spindles and comprising alternately arranged dofilng devices and empty tube supports; operating means comprising means to move said unit outward for doffing cops, camming means operative during said outward movement to shift said unit laterally to aline the empty tubes on said supports with said spindles, and means to move said unit inward to don said tubes; normally inoperative power driving means for said operating means; and means controlled by said movable member, upon reaching a predetermined point in its progressive movement, for setting said operating means in operation by said power driving means.

Br Ina cop winding machinaawinding mechanism comprising a group of relatively movable spindles and poppet-t adapted to hold cop tubes between them; a movable member, and means for imparting to said member a progressive: movement as the cops are wound; a dofling mechanism comprising means to separate said spindles and poppets, means to engage the cop bottoms to hold them against said poppets until the threads break, and means to separate said engaging means from said poppets to release the cops; normally inoperative power driving means for said dofling mechanism; and means controlled by said movable member, upon reaching a pre-- determined point in its progressive movement, for setting said doiiing mechanism in operation by said driving means.

7. In a cop winding machine, a winding mechanism comprising a group of spindles and a 1 -thread guide mechanism cooperating therewith,

restoring means urging said thread guide mechanism toward an initial position, means for mov' ing said thread guide mechanism progressively as the cops are round, means operable by said thread guide mechanism upon reaching a predetermined point in its movement for releasing.

the same to the action of said restoring means,

a dofilng mechanism, normally inoperative power driving means therefor, and means controlled by said thread guide mechanism'upon its movement toward initial position for setting said dofling mechanism in operation by said driving means.

8. In a cop winding machine, a winding mechanism comprising a group of spindles and a thread guide mechanism cooperating therewith,

restoring means urging said thread guide mech-- anism toward an initial position, means for moving said thread guide mechanism progressively as the cops are wound, means operable by said thread guide mechanism upon reaching a predetermined point in its movement for releasing the same to the action of said restoring means. a dofling and donning unit comprising domi... devices and supports for empty cop tubes alternately arranged, operating means for imparting outward and inward domng and donning movements to said unit, means for laterally shifting said unit from doting to donning position, normally inoperative power driving means for said operating means, and means controlled by said thread guide mechanism upon its movement toward initial position for setting said operating means in motion by said driving means. 9. In a cop winding machine, a winding mechanism comprising spindles, driving means therefor, means to uncouple said spindles from said driving means, and weight means which remain connected to said spindles to continue their rotation after their disconnection from said driving means, said spindles having a base part on which the thread is wound by said continued rotation.

10. In a machine as described in claim 9, brake 05 means adapted to limit said continued rotation of said spindles to a substantially definite number of turns.

11. In a cop winding machine, a winding mechanism comprising spindles each having a 70 base part on which the thread can be wound, a thread guide mechanism comprising thread guides movable from an initial position opposite said base part to the winding limit of the cops mounted on said spindles, driving means for said 75 spindles, means controlled by said thread guide mechanism at the limit. position of said thread guides to uncouple said spindles from said driving means, weight means which remain connected to said spindles to continue their rotation after their disconnection from said driving means, means to restore said thread guides to initial position to cause the thread to be wound upon said base part .of the spindles before their rotation 12. In a cop winding machine as described in claim 11, brake means for stopping said spindles, and means movable by said thread guide mechanism to apply said brake means.

13. In a cop winding machine, means to 'support a cop comprising a spindle and poppet, said spindle having a base part on which the'thread can be wound, a thread guide movable to position to wind the thread on said base part when the cop is wound, domng means for separating said spindie and poppet to releasethecop, and means for engaging the cop bottom to hold the cop nose against said poppet while said spindle and poppet are separated, whereby tosever the thread.

14. In a machine as described in claim 13, means operable by the movement of said separating means to'disengage said engaging means irom the cop bottom subsequent to the severing of the thread.

15. In a cop winding machine, a plurality oi juxtaposed winding spindles; driving means therefor comprising a drive shaft; thread guides cooperating with said spindles; means operated by said driving means for reciprocating said thread guides in unison: a cop handling unit adiacent said spindles having thereon stripping faces associated with said spindles i'or stripping the finished cops therefrom, means for receiving the finished cops and means for supporting a plurality of juxtaposed empty cop tubes, said lastmentioned means lying in aplane displaced from the plane containing said winding spindles; means responsive to the return of said thread guides to their initialposition for automatically actuating said cop handling unit in a direction parallel to the axes of said spindles i'or stripping simultaneously the flnished cops which comprises a normally disengaged clutch associatedwith said drive shaft, locking means for maintaining said clutch in disengaged position against a yielding force, tripping means for said locking means actuated-by the return: of said thread guides to their initial position to eflect an engagement of said clutch, a cam drum driven by said drive shaft in the engaged position of said clutch, an actuating segment controlled by said drum, and a cylindrical gear rack in engagement with said segment and connected'with said cop handling unit, a second cam driven by said drive shaft in the engaged position of said clutch, a

crank non-rotatably mounted on said cylindrical gear rack, a connecting rod joined to said crank and controlled by said second cam to effect a movement of said cop handling unit transversely oi the spindle axes to set in position for operation.

16. The combination claimed in claim 15 wherein the cam surfaces on the cam drum and the second cam are so shaped as to impart an upward movement to the cop handling unit by rocking said cylindrical gear rack, a forward and return longitudinal'movement to said gear rack while the cop handling unit remains in its raised the stripping i'aces position, and a downwardmovement to the cop handling unit by drlcal gear-rack.

reversely rocking said cylin- 1'7. The combination claimed in claim 15 wherein the cam surfaces on the cam drum and thefsecond cam are so shaped as to impart an upward movement to the cop handling unit while the cylindrical gear rack remains stationary in a longitudinal direction, a forward and return longitudinal movement to said gear rack while the cop handling unit remains in its raised position, and a downward movement to the cop han- 10 dling unit while the cylindrical gear rack remains stationary in a longitudinal direction, and

V the locking means for maintaining said clutch 

